Tridentine indult Mass CANCELLED at SPC!
  • emafi
    Posts: 7
    Tragic news,

    At Saint Peter Chanel in Hawaiian Gardens, CA we had been having a Tridentine low Mass for a few months. Today, the Pastor came out (before the recessional) and announced that the head of his order--The Oblates of the Virgin Mary--had ordered his priests to stop saying the indult Mass because it was an "apostolate" that the OMV does not embrace. He also said that the 170 person average Sunday attendance was insufficient to justify the Mass (in spite of the fact that we had been marginalized to the old Church, kneeling on a concrete floor, and not interfering with N.O. masses). Daily Mass goers would certainly be shocked and disappointed to find that daily Masses were cancelled due to less than 200 person attendance, and they get Mass in the big new Church, kneelers and all. I personally had joined the tiny "choir" and spent many dollars on music, hymnals, and CDs (that's how I learn unfamiliar songs--sorry) to get geared up for the High Mass we were expecting. We were told that this was on an "experimental basis," but I hadn't heard that the Pope called for a conditional experiment (I looked for the Motu Propio on the vatican.va website, but it's only in Latin, which I don't really know). I joined this parish because of their orthodox theological orientation in terms of homilies and Confession although their liturgies have never been solemn. My son received Confirmation there, and my daughter her First Holy Communion. I've been there over a decade, and my daughter and I were both in NO choirs there.

    Anyway, they made a mistake introducing the Tridentine because many who had never experienced it now have, and there were open protests to the decision as the pastor announced it. I plan to disenroll from the parish and go about twice as far to an indult Mass in Huntington Beach, which I hear started up again. Anyone know anything about St. Mary's? Of course, I won't be in that choir, but oh well. It was fun and rewarding while it lasted. I guess I have no real point, just wondering if anyone out there was going, or where others in So Cal are going. I'm disgusted by the modernist view of liturgy as a complete break from the past--especially musically. Any ideas about how we could counter or overcome this situation? What Saint/s should we be invoking here: Sts Pius V & X, I suppose.
  • Palestrina
    Posts: 364
    "Today, the Pastor came out (before the recessional) and announced that the head of his order--The Oblates of the Virgin Mary--had ordered his priests to stop saying the indult Mass because it was an "apostolate" that the OMV does not embrace."

    I thought the whole point of Summorum Pontificum was that it basically guaranteed the right of every priest to offer Mass according to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. Does a superior have the authority to restrict the application of a universal law somebody under his jurisdiction? I wouldn't think so... Anybody else have a view on this?
  • David AndrewDavid Andrew
    Posts: 1,204
    First of all, I'm very sorry that once again certain members of the Church are displaying open defiance to the wishes of the Holy Father. We must continue praying for our priests. I can't speak to whether or not the superior of the order has the canonical right to issue such a "decree."

    Second of all, the EF according to the Missal of 1962 is no longer an "indult" Mass, and there is no longer such a creature as an "indult parish," thanks to the M.P.

    Thirdly, I wasn't aware that either expression of the Roman Rite was considered an "apostolate" to be "embraced."

    I have to wonder, given that the pastor announced this as coming down from his superior, if he was either trying to pass the buck, deflect the blame or elicit sympathy.

    A carefully-worded letter to his superior, but openly cc'd to the Papal Commission Ecclesia Dei may be in order.
  • JulesVanNuffel
    Posts: 126
    Yes, please do document this and send a letter to Ecclesia Dei. PLEASE DO THIS
  • G
    Posts: 1,397
    First off, my deeply felt condolences, emafi.
    I believe the superior of the order does have this authority under SP.
    See article 3 of the document.
    There was some discussion of it at Fr Z's.
    I strongly suggest you go to his blog and email asking him.
    http://www.wdtprs.com/blog/
    He seems to sometimes have an inside track on how and why things are happening, and because his blog is so widely read it is also good at marshaling forces who might fight the good fight with you.

    Here is the unofficial English translation in PDF from the American bishops.
    http://usccb.org/liturgy/VISEnglishSummPont.pdf

    Do not lose hope! And don't pack away your music just yet.
    Think about keeping the schola going without the parish auspices. You might find interest picking up in other places.
    Even if you just sing vespers in somebody's living room once a month it might be very rewarding.

    (Save the Liturgy, Save the World)
  • emafi
    Posts: 7
    Thanks for the responses and especially for the links and information. I couldn't find any emails at the vatican.va site. Could anyone give the Ecclesia Dei Commission's email, URL, etc.? The MP hit me by surprise (ecstatically, of course) as I had been out of the TM loop for about a decade. I agree that our pastor was against the Mass, or he would have to cancel daily Masses for attendance under 200. Our average of 170 is more than I've ever seen at a Tridentine Mass (I've been to dozens) in either LA or OC, yet he treated it as nominal and insignificant. Yesterday, I sent emails to the OMV provincial, Fr. Brown, in Boston, and to the International OMV email from their website. I plan to disenroll from the parish today in protest. I will paste my original blog in Fr's space, too, to see what I can learn. Once again, thank you kindly. Ora pro nobis.
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